The Best Cloud Storage for Business Compare Top 8 Cloud Storage Solutions of 2018

Need of a good Cloud Storage for Businesscomparing Best Cloud Storage Solutions

Online Storage vs Local

Gone are the days when businesses would rely solely on local storage; now it’s all about remote, server-based processing and storage, otherwise known as the cloud. By transferring your media files and documents in the cloud, you stand to benefit from anywhere-sharing and access. Choose a Solution with mobile apps, integration with Windows and smart notifications.

Free vs Paid Cloud Storage

Many cloud service providers offer free accounts that entail certain limitations, like a size restriction on uploaded files or the amount of storage space. Ideally, you should opt for a paid Cloud Storage Solution if you are an enterprise, because free Cloud services usually miss out on support, restrict important features and poses a limit on your organization’s growth

Choose Security & Customer Support

Business will continue to look for best cloud storage to secure sensitive documents, without spending on high cost infrastructure and using cloud storage. While choosing a Cloud Solution, look for who offers the maximum storage in low cost but with better security. Check customer reviews, business specific needs and customer support.

Before Comparing top Solutions, let's see how to select the best cloud storage for business

Not all businesses are same hence you should select a solution that solves unique needs of your business. Here are the Top 20 factors to consider when selecting a cloud storage.

Team Collaboration – common team folders for teams to sync and share files. Ability to send messages, comment on files and have threads of conversation

Effective User Interface – a good solution would have a right balance between ‘ease of use’ and richness of features. Intuitive features such as “drag and drop” files for upload.

Virtual Drive aka “streaming” or “on-demand sync” – mount remote files as local files. Files are downloaded only when they are accessed and edited. Consumers get access to all their remote files without using much local memory.

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Check out the cloud storage offerings that provide the best returns on your investment by virtue of their ease of use, price, stability, and feature sets:

ownCloud

ownCloud consists of a suite of client-server software meant to create and facilitate file hosting services. The service has a lot of takers, thanks in part to its low-cost and feature-rich environment. As the price of cloud storage continues to increase elsewhere, ownCloud has maintained its competitive market pricing.
The service is open source and can be set up extremely fast. Most web hosts are capable of handling ownCloud without any issues. It is possible to customize your admin profile and login page. ownCloud is quite intuitive and if you were on the lookout for customized storage you could control, ownCloud fits the bill perfectly.
However, the cloud storage is not without its share of flaws. For starters, the documentation is not exhaustive and you might encounter a few errors in the beginning that can only be sorted by your host. Also, being an open source service, ownCloud lacks a strong support system.

Dropbox

Dropbox is a name to reckon with when it comes to cloud storage providers. Specifically targeted towards organizations and enterprises, the service comes with a host of business-rich features such as collaboration. The referral system is unique, because it gives you a chance to increase your storage capabilities. Although you start off with a disappointing 2GB of free storage, you can easily increase this to 16GB without spending a single penny if you link your Dropbox account with your social media and refer your connections to try out the service.
When you upgrade to a Dropbox Business subscription, you can easily collaborate on work and every person enjoys a lot of space in his or her personal Dropbox account. If that’s not all, you can access improved features, such as add-ons for Gmail and file versioning and recovery.
The reason why so many companies pick Dropbox is often due to its fast rate of syncing and MS Office integration capabilities. Another significant advantage is access to Dropbox Paper, a collaborative workspace that enables teams to create, review, revise, share, manage, and organize early ideas. The service supports everything from text documents to images, videos to code.
As far as drawbacks are concerned, the maximum storage space offered by Dropbox is 1TB. Plus, it is quite expensive and you need some idea of cloud storage to harness all of its capabilities. However, the most concerning issue may be the absence of 24 X 7 support for users.

NextCloud

NextCloud is unique and innovative because it is a do-it-yourself cloud storage solution that tailors the cloud locker as per the needs of your business. The service differs considerably from other online cloud storage providers; it offers free software that users have to download and install cloud storage services on their personal server. The benefit? Well, using a server located right in your home network allows for rapid cloud storage services. The service supports full encryption, so you can make sure the details never leave the home network.
For companies that lack any prior IT or server experience, you have the opportunity to buy a preconfigured NextCloud Box from the site, which features 1TB of storage space and supports the cost-effective Raspberry Pi board for syncing your valuable data.

Box

Box is another well-known service that is easy to use and offers a host of powerful business features. The service is compatible with numerous apps and the business plans promise improved security measures. You can either opt for the 10GB free option or go for the Business Plans that provide unlimited storage and advanced collaboration options. It’s a huge step-up from the free accounts that have a file upload limit of 250MB.
Box is a veteran in the cloud storage industry, and you can use it in conjunction with apps like Office 365 and Google Docs. Customization options are dime-a-dozen with this service, allowing you to integrate and sync the account with different services for storage. You can download the Box Sync client for Windows and Mac, but there is no official client for the Android platform.

Egnyte

Egnyte lets you share files and collaborate easily with colleagues through your choice of devices and apps, anytime, anywhere. The service is incredibly well put-together with a host of options, such as integration with Mac and Windows. The permission structure is simple and you can download and use the software on your desktop without any hassle. There are hardly any chinks in the security of this program, even when accessing files on the go.
However, Egnyte has a few drawbacks that mar the user experience and prevent it from being near-perfect. First, the learning curve for this cloud storage is quite steep and you do not receive any support for push groups using SSO. Syncing problems are also quite common. Last, the quality of customer service leaves a lot to be desired, with responses being sluggish and not very useful.

Citrix ShareFile

ShareFile is a good choice for businesses both small and large, supporting all sorts of workflow requirements and document-centric tasks. The service is easily deployable with solid support and ease of use. The provider stresses more on keeping client information secure and adopts a no-nonsense, professional look for this service.
The downloading screen is a bit complex and misleading. Plus, the licensing scheme is somewhat tricky and you need to understand the plans thoroughly; otherwise, you might end up exceeding your budget. Another frequent issue is the generation of a new link every time you want to share a link on the same folder. This gets confusing for users working on a single folder.

FileCloud

We’ve kept FileCloud for last on this list because there’s a lot to unpack. A self-hosted enterprise file sharing and sync, FileCloud can be deployed either on-premise or on the public cloud, separating it instantly from the competition. Users enjoy full visibility and control even after the files have been uploaded to the servers. This level of deployment flexibility is unprecedented and one of the strongest suites of FileCloud.

You have the option of integrating the FileCloud storage services with current user home directories and file shares easily without having to upload the necessary details to the FileCloud servers. Also, the pricing plan makes it worth your while, with 100 users enjoying the services for roughly $5,000.

One of the biggest features FileCloud offers to users is mobile or remote access, enabling them to access their documents from different devices, including mobile devices. File synchronization is also supported by this EFSS allowing you to synchronize files across multiple OS and devices. You also benefit from the file sharing option, which enables you to send files to other users both outside and within the company in the form of a link. Also of interest are the granular file sharing options, including password protected, public, and private sharing.

Collaboration is something that is a must in any good cloud storage service, and FileCloud is no exception. The service allows teams to sync and share files, share messages with one another, comment on files, and create conversation threads. What’s more, the user interface for the FileCloud service offers the right mix of great features and ease of use. Of particular interest is the drag and drop intuitive feature that makes uploading files a piece of cake.

FileCloud lets you mount your remote files in the form of local files thanks to virtual drive or on-demand sync. You can download the files once you’ve accessed and edited them. Users enjoy remote file access without consuming too much of the local memory. You can integrate with existing enterprise file servers, storage, and infrastructure. What’s more, you have plenty of administrator tools at your disposal, including user policy management, user management, real-time performance reporting, a centralized device dashboard, and security tools.

Customization is possible to some extent with FileCloud, especially the custom branding across user interfaces, policies, and communications. The service also supports advanced search thanks to the use of search filters and patterns. You also get the advantage of strong security and data protection, including encryption, remote data wiping, two factor authentication, data loss protection, and alerts regarding any unusual activities.

Another added advantage of FileCloud is content analytics which offers insights regarding user collaborations, system usage, risks, and external interactions. Basic content management is also supported in the form of user policy management, metadata classification, versioning, and light workflows. Multiple APIs extend the current crop of features and help integrate the service with other applications. Thanks to data portability, you can move the files to a different system and at the same time, avail limited vendor lock-in.

The FileCloud solution can be deployed across hybrid, private, or public clouds, and even on-premises. And thanks to added identity management capabilities, you can integrate the service with standard Active Directory and Single Sign On for your enterprise. The unlimited number of free partner accounts allows your company to save thousands of dollars.

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Which Cloud Storage Service is the Best Choice For You?

At the end of the day, it all boils down to your intended usage. The services mentioned above offers both free and paid options, which are compatible with the needs of small and large businesses. Another thing to keep in mind is the quality of the storage; it doesn’t matter how many GBs or TBs you get, if you cannot access it properly or there are doubts regarding the security of your files.

Now, while you should ideally go through a process of trial-and-error to figure out what works best for your company, the whole thing can take up a lot of your time and get confusing in the long run. So, to be on the safe side, pick a service that you think offers everything one might need to run your business more efficiently. FileCloud is one such EFSS that comes with a plethora of features, each tailored to meet your requirements.

Compared to the larger players like Box and Dropbox, FileCloud gets updated regularly with new features that add value to your whole experience. The developers pay attention to the suggestions of customers and integrate options periodically.

So, make your life easier by saving and backing up your files to the cloud.

"We tested about five other solutions like Team Drive, OwnCloud and LeitzCloud. In the End, FileCloud won that battle clearly"

Picking the right Cloud Storage Solution

Using a perfect Cloud Solution might result in greater productivity and decreased local storage needs. No wonder companies are shying away from expensive infrastructure and hardware and placing more apps and files in the cloud.

However, many firms are undecided about the right cloud storage provider. And can you blame them? The market is saturated with such providers, each claiming it offers the “best” in bandwidth, security, and low-cost storage.

The trick is to understand what works for your company before handing over your hard-earned cash.

Few important aspects as summarized in the comparison table above as well to look for are:-

Should you be using only Free Cloud Storage Solution?

Now, you might be wondering what’s wrong with sticking with the free service and saving the organization some money.

Well, for starters, the chances of human errors and Internet connectivity issues increase considerably. Browse the Internet or ask around and you’ll hear multiple accounts of how cloud storage can go wrong. To avoid such mishaps, it’s usually worth paying for your cloud account, especially as it comes with extra support from the provider.

So, on the off chance that something does go wrong, you are able to get the problem fixed with a phone call. Other factors that make paying for cloud storage worthwhile include greater storage space, larger file uploads, file-version history access, improved security, and collaborative features.

"FileCloud is by far the best on-premise file sharing solution."

How to find a secure Cloud Storage Solution?

Many enterprise managers with responsibility to find a secure file share solution don’t have a clue where to start looking.

After all, there is no guarantee that the most popular platform in the industry will necessarily fit your company’s requirements. As a result, it all boils down to what features are present in the solution and how efficiently they help get the job done.

Ideally, the file-sharing platform for your business should provide offline access to cloud-hosted files and support multiple client management. It should company with industry regulatory bodies like SOX and HIPPA and offer business-class collaboration and security features.

Check the feature list to see if the Cloud Solution provides following security features